NASA has taken a significant step toward long-term human presence on the Moon by awarding $24 million in study contracts to nine U.S. companies. The funding supports the development of logistics and mobility solutions essential for the Artemis program, a cornerstone of NASA’s broader Moon to Mars exploration strategy.
Artist’s concept of a future moon landing carried out under NASA's newly named Artemis program. Image credit: NASA
The contracts, issued through NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix R, will help address the daily operational challenges astronauts will face on the lunar surface. These efforts are crucial for building a sustainable lunar infrastructure, enabling future missions to Mars and beyond.
“These contract awards are the catalyst for developing critical capabilities for the Artemis missions and the everyday needs of astronauts for long-term exploration on the lunar surface,” said Nujoud Merancy, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Strategy and Architecture Office in Washington.
Merancy emphasized the strong industry response to NASA’s request for proposals, reflecting growing interest in human space exploration and the emerging deep-space economy. She described this initiative as a major step toward a sustainable return to the Moon, fostering innovation through commercial partnerships and expanding knowledge for future missions.
The selected nine companies, spread across seven states, will focus on robotics, autonomous systems, and logistics solutions that will enhance cargo transport, storage, and mobility on the lunar surface:
Blue Origin (Florida) – Logistics carriers, handling, transfer, offloading, staging, storage, tracking, and surface mobility.
-Intuitive Machines (Texas) – Logistics handling, offloading, and surface mobility.
-Leidos (Virginia) – Logistics carriers, transfer, storage, tracking, trash management, and integrated strategies.
-Lockheed Martin (Colorado) – Logistics carriers, transfer, and surface mobility.
-MDA Space (Texas) – Surface mobility.
-Moonprint (Delaware) – Logistics carriers.
-Pratt Miller Defense (Michigan) – Surface mobility.
-Sierra Space (Colorado) – Logistics carriers, transfer, storage, tracking, trash management, and integrated strategies.
-Special Aerospace Services (Alabama) – Logistics carriers, handling, transfer, offloading, storage, tracking, trash management, surface mobility, and integrated strategies.
NASA’s collaboration with industry, academia, and international partners ensures that the blueprint for crewed deep-space exploration continues to evolve. By taking a methodical approach to innovation, the agency is paving the way for sustainable lunar exploration—a crucial step toward humanity’s ultimate goal: reaching Mars and beyond.
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